“This” being Saturday’s news that Lakers forward Brandon Ingram will miss the rest of the season because of a deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in his right arm. In plainer English, he has a blood clot, one that if left untreated could cause serious, even life-threatening complications.

Fortunately, once detected, DVT is very treatable with blood thinning medication, and Ingram will undoubtedly receive great care in getting himself healthy. But for a professional athlete, this type of thing can be devastating. A single blood clot, treated, isn’t a problem. Recurrence can mean the end of a career because the risk of bleeding makes it too dangerous to play and take the required medication at the same time.

A couple summers ago, I had a very lucky break with a heart problem that was recognized, diagnosed and repaired before anything bad happened. But as a healthy (or so I thought)...